


Near (And Dear) To You

by bobertsmallismydad



Category: Borderlands (Video Games)
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Established Relationship, Hallucinations, M/M, Near Death Experiences
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-07
Updated: 2020-01-07
Packaged: 2021-02-27 10:21:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,132
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22155430
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bobertsmallismydad/pseuds/bobertsmallismydad
Summary: Jack is trapped without any way to contact the outside. The when, where, and why doesn't matter. All that matters is that his time is numbered and with the hallucination taunting him with his (inevitable) death he might not have a lot of it.
Relationships: Handsome Jack/Rhys (Borderlands)
Kudos: 48





	Near (And Dear) To You

**Author's Note:**

> Be aware: I have never played the games. So be gentle.
> 
> Also, this work isn't reviewed, it's just lil' ol' me. I just wanted to have a little fun.

Jack had never really given thought to how he would die. Sure, he had the stray inkling every time some rando pointed a gun, brandished a sharp object, or threatened him in any way. But the thought was always promptly put down, along with the would-be assailant.

“You’re going to die here, Jack,” the thing says. Now, Jack could only think about how he might go. His head lolls to the side to look over at it. It grins with Rhys’s smile and shrugs. “That’s just the truth, no one is coming for you. The great Handsome Jack, struck down at last.”

“Ain’t dead yet, bitch,” Jack grunts, wiping at his mouth with the back of a gritty hand. He’s covered in dirt and soot from where the blast caved in the ceiling and walls. He’s trapped. And being trapped with this thing isn’t helping his confidence at getting out of here. Especially, since it looks like Rhys. His current fling that might have strayed into domestic territory.

“Humor can’t save you now, it never has, never will. Just lay down and die,” Rhys spits at him. Jack looks away and closes his eyes. _It’s just a hallucination, Jackie, snap out of it_. When he opens his eyes, the thing is gone. He sighs and breathes slowly to conserve his air.

“Can’t get rid of me that easily, Handsome,” it whispers in his ear. Jack jolts and it smiles at him, too close, too sharp. _It isn’t Rhys_ , he keeps telling himself. But it’s hard when it looks so real. It tilts its head, pouting theatrically.

“What? Are you scared? Scared of me?”

“Get the fuck away from me.” He needs the real Rhys.

“Rhys isn’t coming for you, Jack. I’m here, isn’t that enough?”

Jack grits his teeth and shuts his eyes. It’s a childish solution, if you can’t see it, it can’t see you. But it works, the thing shuts up. At least for a while.

“Jack,” it calls softly next to him. He’s glad he can’t feel anything from it, he doesn’t think he could handle any physical sensations from it. “Open your eyes.”

Jack refuses.

There’s a beat of silence before Rhys screams right in his ear. Jack startles, his eyes flying open in worry. Rhys is standing in front of him, hands around its own throat. It’s grinning.

“Gotcha,” it singsongs, blood dripping from the corner of its mouth. “You can’t resist a damsel in distress, better yet, you can’t stand the thought of him getting hurt.”

“You fucking piece of shit,” Jack hisses. It waves him off.

“Stop calling yourself that, it’s not nice.” It leans down to tap at his temple. Jack can’t feel it but the hair on his arms stands up. “It’s all up here, and you have plenty of space for me, myself, and I, Jackie boy.”

“Get away from me.”

“Can’t do that, considering I am you. I just look a little different.”

“Why do you look like him?” Jack seethes, a low burning in his stomach.

“I’m your biggest demon, he’s your greatest fear, we mix well. Wouldn’t you say?” Rhys’s face splits into a manic grin before its features fall, its lip jutting out, tears welling in its eyes.

“Jack,” it whispers brokenly. The sound tears at Jack’s heart and he reaches for Rhys out of instinct. But Rhys isn’t there anymore. There’s an echo of laughter in the air before Jack is left with silence.

Jack wipes his hands over his face, slaps his own cheeks.

“Stay awake, buddy,” he whispers to himself, “help is on the way. What the hell else do I pay them for?”

* * *

“Have you ever really considered the fact that you’d die one day?”

Jack groans and opens his eyes. He’d fallen asleep. More like passed out after the adrenaline wore out and left him drained. He lets his head turn to the side, barely able to keep it up.

Rhys just smiles, not unkindly. He moves closer, sitting right next to Jack.

“I bet you thought you’d live forever. That somehow you’d find a way to just keep going.”

Jack breathes heavily, doesn’t respond. He doesn’t have to if the look on Rhys’s face is anything to go by.

“Right, you’ve got things cooking in R&D, such a smart cookie,” Rhys coos. Jack feels fingers in his hair, which shouldn’t be possible, but his brain is an absolute traitor. Jack lets his eyes slip closed again and he drifts off with the warm sensation on his scalp.

* * *

“Wake up,” a voice hisses. Jack jolts awake, groaning when everything aches. He’s still trapped, and Rhys is still with him.

“What do you want?” Jack coughs.

The hallucination puts a hand on his chest, fingers splayed. Jack looks into its eyes and he wilts just a little. Because they aren’t Rhys’s eyes, not the beautiful brown and lit up blue. No, instead, the irises are blue and green.

“You always saw so much of yourself in him. And it scares you doesn’t it?”

Jack doesn’t respond. He can’t believe the amount of sincerity in those words. They aren’t teasing or ribbing him.

“It scares you half to death, doesn’t it? That one day, Rhysie won’t want to stay because he’s too ambitious, too smart, and too much for you?”

“Please,” Jack wheezes. He shuts his eyes against the torment of those eyes.

“Look at me, Jack.”

“No, I won’t. I can’t.”

“Jack, look at me. Come on.”

If Jack was thinking clearly, he might think the hallucination cared.

“Open your eyes, asshole.”

His eyes open despite his earlier rebellion. And it’s Rhys in front of him.

“Rhys? Is it really you?”

Rhys tilts his head to the side and frowns. “I would hope so, who else is going to dedicate so much time and so many resources to save the universe’s most accident-prone CEO?”

Jack is stunned and then he feels too empty. He reaches out and Rhys meets him halfway, hugging him back before Jack can put thought into his actions.

“Rhysie, oh my god, it’s you. Fuck,” Jack whimpers. God, he hopes no one else sees him like this. Rhys just shushes him and holds him as he shakes.

“Okay, we have to get you out of here and get you some water. You’re dehydrated beyond belief,” Rhys murmurs before he pulls away. He orders in a medic team and they hoist Jack out on a gurney. Rhys holds his hand as they walk.

“That sucked,” Jack says. Rhys looks down at him, rolling his eyes. Those perfect eyes of his. So completely unlike Jack’s, soft and kind and full of potential. Just as quickly, Rhys looks away to talk to a medic that is inserting a needle into Jack’s arm.


End file.
